The present invention relates to an improvement for a mechanical pool cleaner of the type commonly used for removing small items of debris such as dirt, sand or leaves from swimming pools. More particularly, the invention provides an apparatus and method for easily repairing and replacing a supply mast on such a pool cleaner.
A swimming pool provides many benefits. Chief among such benefits are recreational and competitive swimming, which are enjoyed by people all over the world. Swimming is an excellent exercise that yields generally improved health, overall fitness, body toning and cardiovascular improvements. For many people, a swimming pool also provides a welcome relief from hot weather. Additionally, swimming pools and other decorative pools provide aesthetic benefits that can substantially enhance the attractiveness and value of the surrounding property. Decorative pools are used as landscaping features on private, public, and commercial properties. Considering such benefits, it is not surprising that countless swimming pools of widely varying size and design are in place at parks, recreational facilities, schools, and homes.
For all their benefits, pools can be difficult and time consuming to maintain because dirt, sand and other debris invariably find their way into the pool. In outdoor settings, leaves, lawn clippings, and other plant materials are carried or blown into the pool. This debris settles onto the bottom or walls of the pool, where it accumulates until it is removed. A dirty pool is unsightly and can be unsanitary as well. For this reason, much effort is expended in keeping a pool clean. Especially for a homeowner or apartment manager, this continuing cleaning effort can substantially detract from the benefits of pool ownership.
A range of devices is available to assist in removing debris from pools. One such device is a well known simple tool having a mesh or net suspended in a frame at the end of a long pole. This tool is used to manually sweep or skim debris from the pool. Although it is inexpensive and simple to operate, cleaning a pool with this tool is laborious and cumbersome. Accordingly, this tool is generally used for spot cleaning rather than routine, continuous debris removal.
Manual pool cleaners also are well known devices suitable for cleaning swimming pools. A simple manual pool cleaner features a vacuum head mounted at one end of a long pole. The vacuum head draws water and debris from the bottom or sides of a pool in much the same way that a common household vacuum cleaner removes debris from floors. Although such a manual pool cleaner is generally effective in removing debris from a pool, a human operator is required for its operation.
To reduce the need for a human operator, automatic pool cleaners have been developed. One conventional automatic pool cleaner has a wheeled carriage equipped with a suction tube for drawing debris from the bottom of the pool into a mesh debris bag. This cleaner also has a tubular supply mast projecting upward from a frame inside the wheeled carriage to connect to a pressurized water feed line that powers the suction tube and also moves the cleaner across the bottom and walls of the pool along a more or less random path. The supply mast can be either integrally formed into the frame or can be a separate piece glued to the frame or can be fastened to the suction tube with the awkward use of three small screws. The supply mast also has a horizontal projection upon which a ballast float can be mounted to balance the cleaner. As the cleaner moves over the pool bottom, items of debris are picked up and removed from the pool as the suction tube draws pool water into the device.
While this cleaner is generally effective in automatically cleaning pools, the supply mast can break, thereby necessitating costly repair of the cleaner. Such supply mast breakage is caused by a number of factors. Harsh chemicals in the pool water and radiation from the sun can attack and weaken the material of the supply mast, which is typically made of plastic. In addition to the weakening of the supply mast itself, a number of everyday events occur that place stress upon the supply mast. For example, because the cleaner's supply mast essentially drags the feed hose around the pool, the feed hose continuously subjects the supply mast to stress when the cleaner is moving. Further, because users can pick up the cleaner by the feed line, ballast float or the supply mast itself, the supply mast can be subjected to stresses which can cause breakage. Finally, when the cleaner is out of the pool, it may be susceptible to impact which also can fracture the supply mast.
When the supply mast breaks, a costly and laborious procedure must be undertaken to replace the supply mast and place the cleaner in an operable condition. Supply masts that are glued to or integrally formed with the frame cannot be readily removed and replaced. Usually, to fix such a supply mast a repair technician cuts away the broken portion of the supply mast with a hacksaw or similar cutting tool. After removal of the broken portion, the technician must obtain a new supply mast piece sized to fit on the unbroken portion of the supply mast. The technician then glues the new supply mast piece onto the unbroken supply mast portion, resulting in a supply mast with the same basic dimensions as the original. While this technique is generally effective, it is laborious and expensive because it requires trained personnel.
Although cleaners are known to have removable supply masts, they are fastened to the suction tube by screws that are small and difficult to handle. In particular, these screws can be dropped into the inner workings of the cleaner and lost. Further, because the supply mast screws engage the suction tube instead of the frame, the connection between the lower end of the supply mast and the frame is not as secure as it could be, thereby potentially allowing leakage of the feed water and reducing the power available to the cleaner. Further, the interconnection of the supply mast, suction tube and frame requires higher and therefore more expressive manufacturing tolerances.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an automatic pool cleaner that has an easily installable and replaceable supply mast that is securely mounted to the frame. The present invention fulfills this need.